Daily Times

Islamabad is considering ‘other options’ to deal with the deteriorating security situation in the aftermath of India’s illegal move to scrap special status of Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), fearing more bloodshed in the valley.

“We fear more bloodshed in coming days in Kashmir,” Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Saturday. “We are considering ‘other options’ as well… we hope there’s no bloodshed, but we see things moving towards further escalation in tension,” he added.

The minister went on to say that the government did not want to consider ‘military options’. “However, we reserve the right to defend our motherland in event of any misadventure,” he added.

The foreign minister said China had decided to fully support Pakistan on Kashmir issue amid New Delhi’s attempts to change the demography of the disputed area and ethnic cleansing of Kashmiris. He said Beijing had extended its full support to Pakistan’s decision to go to United Nations Security Council against India’s recent move to strip occupied Kashmir of its special status through a presidential decree. He said that China again proved to be a true friend of Pakistan and added that Beijing considered the recent Indian move unilateral.

Qureshi visited Beijing on August 9-10 and had wide-ranging consultations with the Chinese leadership. He stressed that no unilateral step could change the internationally recognised disputed nature of IHK. During the visit, the minister highlighted the grave danger posed by illegal Indian actions to regional peace and security and shared deep concerns about a total clampdown of IHK by Indian security forces and the humanitarian crisis resulting therefrom. “I have shared with China that the Pakistan government has decided to take this issue to UN Security Council. We will be needing China’s help there,” he said. He said he planned to approach Indonesia and Poland, both non-permanent members of the 15-strong Security Council, for their support. “As part of its (India’s) reckless approach, there could be some false flag operation and Pakistan blamed on the fake pretext of ‘terrorism’,” he underlined, according to a statement issued by the Foreign Office. The two sides agreed that they would closely coordinate and consult each other on the evolving developments. Qureshi, during Saturday’s presser, also made an appeal to the nation to wave the Kashmir’s flag along with Pakistan’s flag to show solidarity with the people of IHK on August 14. “The whole nation should chant slogans of ‘Kashmir banega Pakistan’ (Kashmir will become Pakistan),” he added.

The foreign minister said that an increase in the region’s security measures and heightened human rights violations in IHK were two negative consequences of India’s August 5 move.

He said protests had erupted simultaneously throughout the occupied valley as soon as curfew was relaxed for a few hours in IHK on Friday, adding that there were also reports of deaths in clashes between protesters and the Indian troops in the valley. Indian security forces used tear gas and pellets guns to push back thousands who protested against the move in Srinagar on Friday, injuring at least 30, including women and children.

The demonstration soon after Friday prayers was the largest since authorities locked down the revolt-torn region last week, cutting off telephone and Internet services and detaining more than 500 political and separatist leaders.

Qureshi said there were also reports of food shortages as curfew entered its sixth day on Saturday. “An acute shortage of medicines is an equally important issue,” he added. The minister said that India, on the other hand, was trying to show a rosy picture to the world as if it had done nothing wrong, calling the Kashmir issue its ‘internal matter’. “Pakistan has the right to intervene because India had attempted to change demography of a conflict region.”

Qureshi also lauded a positive response from the United Nations chief following his two letters addressed to him – one before and the other after the August 5 move. “He accepted Pakistan’s historic stance on the dispute in his statement,” he added.

Meanwhile, Qureshi called on Prime Minister Imran Khan and briefed him on his visit to China. In a meeting held at the Prime Minister’s Office, Qureshi apprised PM Imran Khan of his engagement with Chinese foreign minister. He also updated the prime minister about Chinese viewpoint on Indian aggression. “China has assured to support Islamabad’s narrative on Kashmir issue in the United Nations Security Council.”